TEHRAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters "strongly" denied Saturday that U.S. vessels had approached or entered the Strait of Hormuz, rejecting a U.S. claim that two warships had transited the waterway.
The headquarters, which commands all Iranian armed forces, said authority over any vessel's passage "lies with the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran."
Earlier on Saturday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said two warships transited the strait and began mine-clearing operations in the Gulf. ■
